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Ira Hogeboom
| image = File:1794251-ira 1 large.png | imagewidth = 250px | gender = Male | location = Los Angeles | affiliation = USMC (Formerly) Cole Phelps Jack Kelso Courtney Sheldon Harlan Fontaine | status = Deceased | birth = Unknown | death = | weapon = Flame Thrower | actor = J. Marvin Campbell }} Ira Hogeboom was a character in L.A. Noire. Ira was a mentally unstable veteran working for a pest control company in Los Angeles at the time of L.A. Noire. Biography Background Hogeboom was born in Oklahoma. He and his father migrated to California to escape the hardships of the Dust Bowl, during which his mother and younger brother died from starvation. They moved to Los Angeles where his father worked as a stunt double for movies. Ira trained and worked as a gas fitter but was drafted into military service due to the U.S.'s involvment in the Second World War, serving as member of the Sixth Marines under Lieutenant Cole Phelps and Sergeant Jack Kelso. Ira fought in the Okinawa Campaign, and due to his experiences as gas fitter and aptitude in mechanics, he was appropriately placed on flamethrower detail. While raiding Japanese hideouts, Ira's company encountered a cave and was ordered by Phelps to torch it. Ira ran ahead and set the cave ablaze, however, they realized too late that the cave actually a makeshift hospital for Japanese civilians. Upon seeing the agonized men, women and children, Ira was horrified and distraught from his actions. After the civilians were euthanized, Ira was carried out of the cave, but most likely spent the rest of the campaign inactive due to battle fatigue. Events of L.A. Noire After the war, Hogeboom returned home suffering from extreme post traumatic stress disorder, haunted by memories of the atrocity. At the recommendation of friend and fellow Marine unit, Courtney Sheldon, Hogeboom sought treatment from renowned psychiatrist Harlan Fontaine. Fontaine used psychotherapy and morphine, although Ira was still unable to come to terms with his trauma. Nonetheless, Ira was physically fit for work and secured a job as a bug sprayer for the Westlake Pest Control Agency and resided in a house on Rancho Escondido. Ira's fragile mind combined with morphine and hypnotherapy made him susceptible to Fontaine's manipulations, who suggested to burn down certain houses as means of treatment, telling him that it helped confront his past. In actuality, Fontaine was exploiting Ira's broken mind and arsonist experiences for the benefits of the Suburban Redevelopment Fund. However, despite Fontaine's and Monroe's planning, two of the houses were occupied, and Ira could hear the screams of the Morelli family. Guilt-ridden over their deaths, Ira was driven further into insanity and angered that Fontaine had used him, hence broke free of his control. To absolve himself of guilt, Ira began to rationalize that death is a transformation into something better, a higher form of existence, allowing him to kill without remorse. Ira went to confront Fontaine and arrived in time to save Elsa Lichtmann from being murdered by Fontaine by strangling and breaking Fontaine's neck in retribution for his evil deeds. Ira then abducted the unconscious Elsa intending to take her to safety. Donning his Marine uniform and armed with his flamethrower, Ira took Elsa to the River Tunnels, fending off Police Chief Worrell's men. Kelso and Phelps arrived to rescue Elsa, however Kelso's attempts to reason with Ira failed. Lamenting and acknowledging the tragic set of events Ira allowed Phelps to take away Elsa. Having achieved some amount of peace and redemption from helping Elas, Ira saluted Jack as he performed a mercy kill, finally freeing him from insanity. Case Appearences Traffic *"The Driver's Seat" (Newspaper) Homicide *"The Red Lipstick Murder" (Newspaper) Arson *"A Walk In Elysian Fields" (Newspaper) *"A Polite Invitation" *"A Different Kind Of War" (Killed) Murders Committed *Hank Sawyer - Killed after setting fire to their house *Edwina Sawyer - Killed after setting fire to their house *Henry Sawyer - Killed after setting fire to their house *Jessica Sawyer - Killed after setting fire to their house *Mike Morelli - Killed after setting fire to their house *Unnamed Morelli Mother - Killed after setting fire to their house *Unnamed Morelli Children - Killed after setting fire to their house *Harlan Fontaine - Strangled to death after breaking into his house Trivia *His surname is of Dutch origin. *Being from Oklahoma, he speaks with a strong southern accent and is refereed to as "Okie Cowboy" on some occasions. *Had a some interest and knowledge in Japanese culture. During the Okinawa campaign he hoped to secure a samurai sword as a souvenir and later became obsessed with Japanese origami cranes, perhaps due to the legend stating that 1,000 cranes grants one free wish. *Hogeboom is heard at the end of the second official trailer - his lines were not changed before the games release. *Hogeboom is occasionally called "Tex" by some of the characters. Oddly enough, the name "Tex" appears on the bodies of some of the Black Dahlia victims. *Ira keeps a battered flamethrower on a table, probably the same one he used in Okinawa. es:Ira Hogeboom Category:Characters Category:Antagonists Category:Deceased Characters